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PUBLIC OPINION AND PENAL POLICY
Author(s) -
SMITH DAVlD LEWIS,
LIPSEY C. McCURDY
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
criminology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.467
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1745-9125
pISSN - 0011-1384
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1976.tb00007.x
Subject(s) - punishment (psychology) , public opinion , work (physics) , criminology , public policy , psychology , political science , social psychology , sociology , law , engineering , mechanical engineering , politics
This article discusses the issue of who should run the penal system 7he major assumption of penal administrators has been that the public was in favor of a punishment policy. This research indicates that the public is not as punishment‐oriented as expected, though older respondents gave greater approval to restrictive conjugal visitation policies. Age variations may indicate a change in public opinion. The evidence also indicates that the public is more willing to support such programs as conjugal visits and work release than was previously thought. A willingness for more favorable treatment of inmates was found for those who had some contact with inmates .